Growing Up
by Airhead Gemini
Summary: Growing up is hard, sometimes it makes you abandon all your beliefs so you can face the harsh reality of the world. Young Naruto Uzumaki is starting to see the truth of his world, and he's almost ready to face it. He just needs to grow up a bit more. In which Naruto's growing pains consist of holding onto his innocence in a world full of bloodshed. AU
1. Prologue

"You fail!" Iruka exclaimed with an irritated tic of his eyebrow while looking at the pathetic excuse for a clone Naruto summoned. Naruto opened his mouth to shout profanities at the man, but Mizuki cut him off before he could start. "Now, Iruka, I think we should pass him. He did make a clone after all," Mizuki spoke while throwing a wink over his shoulder at Naruto. Naruto beamed with a hopeful look in his eyes, waiting for Iruka's response.

Iruka looked indecisive, unsure if he should pass his favorite student or not. He sighed, "I-I'm sorry, Naruto. I can't pass you with that pathetic excuse for a clone. Better luck next year," he picked up his clipboard, that held the names of the passing students, and walked out of the door. Mizuki sighed and gave a smile in Naruto's direction as he followed Iruka out of the door.

Naruto's face scrunched up and his eyes glossed over with tears he refused to shed. He angrily stomped towards the window and opened it. After jumping out of the window and into the Shinobi Academy's yard, he walked to the lone swing with his head down and his shoulders hunched inwards. Sitting in the swing, he solemnly watched the graduates' parents enter the yard and start to congratulate their children.

"Did you hear?" a woman spoke quietly.

"I know, he's the only one who didn't pass," the other lady paused and a cruel smirk twisted her lips, "Serves him right, that no good dem-"

"Shh! We're not supposed to talk about that!"

Naruto stopped listening and closed his eyes. _I don't know why i let them get to me. I should be used to this by now,_ he thought. His fists clenched around the ropes of the swing, _It just… hurts._

 _ **Of course, it hurts, brat. You're just a human**_ , a deep, gravelly voice spoke from the darkest part of his mind. Naruto scowled but decided to ignore it.

He sighed and started to leave the yard when he heard his name being called from behind him. "Naruto!" Mizuki paused to briefly catch his breath, "I'm glad I caught you before you left. I know that what Iruka did upset you, but I think I know of another way for you to pass." Naruto brightened up, he knew that he would pass!

"It's a secret test, that only certain students are allowed to take. Here, follow me. I'll tell you all about it," Mizuki said, and Naruto nodded enthusiastically. Mizuki plastered a smirk on his face and led Naruto away, though he had a devious gleam in his eyes.

\- Timeskip -

Naruto was running. He was on all fours, jumping from tree to tree with the Scroll of Seals on his back. _I can't believe I almost got caught by the Old Man,_ he paused his thoughts and shook his head, a small smirk on his lips, _Thank God for my Sexy Jutsu and the Old Man's perverseness._ Naruto jumped down into a clearing that had an old worn down shed towards the back of it.

Sitting down, Naruto unrolled the scroll. After briefly skimming it, Naruto's eyes went back to the first jutsu. It was called _The Shadow Clone Jutsu._ "Gah! I suck at clones!" Naruto yelled out into the night. Sighing, Naruto looked at the hand seals for the jutsu, not bothering to read the warning or uses. Standing, Naruto practiced the hand seals for a brief moment before repeating them, this time with chakra, and called out "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Naruto looked around, fully expecting something pathetic, and found himself staring at three duplicates. Naruto grinned, "Yes! I did it 'ttebayo!" He actually couldn't believe it, he never succeeded with the clone jutsu before and that was meant for academy kids, this was a kinjutsu. He shrugged it off, and turned back to the scroll, intent on learning more jutsus.

Naruto scanned the scroll again, this time something caught his eyes and made his breath hitch. _Fuinjutsu: Uzumaki Adamantine Chains._ "Uzumaki?" Naruto asked out loud, confused because the Old Man had said that there was no other Uzumakis. _Wait, maybe I'm the last one…,_ he thought solemnly. He sighed, shook his head and started to read the jutsu. _This jutsu molds the user's chakra into chains… yada yada yada, can pierce through almost anything. The user must be proficient in fuinjutsu,_ Naruto read silently, slightly skimming the text. He frowned, he had no idea what fuinjutsu was.

He sensed a familiar chakra approaching, Iruka-sensei's. Quickly memorizing the hand seals, Naruto rolled up the scroll and stood, waiting for Iruka to show up. Around twenty seconds later, Iruka jumped into the clearing, an angered look on his face. "Naruto! What are you thinking?" he shouted, practically spitting in Naruto's face. Naruto was confused, didn't Iruka-sensei know about the test?

 _ **Silly child, there is no test!**_ the persistent dark voice in the back of his head came back. A feeling of foreboding overcame Naruto. "Iruka-sensei, isn't this part of the makeup test that Mizuki told me about?" he asked. A look of understanding overpassed Iruka's face, before he tackled Naruto to the ground, kunai embedding themselves in Iruka's back.

Naruto had heard the whistle of the kunai, his heightened hearing wasn't just for show, but Iruka reacted before he could dodge. "Sensei? Ar-are you okay?" Naruto asked in a concerned murmur, realizing that Mizuki betrayed him, and the village. "I-I'm fine, Naruto," Iruka grunted out, the pain in his back white hot.

"Well, what do we have here?" a taunting voice asked from the trees, Naruto recognized it as Mizuki's voice. Anger filled Naruto, this bastard had hurt Iruka-sensei! He was ready to wriggle out from under Iruka when Iruka stood but immediately fell to his knees. "Naruto, do you want to know why everyone hates you?" Mizuki asked, a sick and twisted smirk on his face.

"Mizuki, don't! It's forbidden!" a panicked Iruka shouted, ignoring the pain that had started to course through his veins. Naruto couldn't help it, he has been dying to know the reason he was hated for so long and the fact that to speak of it was forbidden intrigued him. "What do you mean 'it's forbidden'? Why does everyone hate me?" he asked.

"Kukukuku, everyone hates you because eleven years ago on October 10th, the Kyuubi was sealed into a newborn child by the Yondaime. Naruto, everyone hates you because that baby was you! You are the Kyuubi!" Mizuki yelled the last part, his own hate obvious.

Naruto froze thoughts of the glares, neglect, and abuse he was subjected to all his life. _They all hate me because… they think that I'm the Kyuubi?_ _That's so… stupid! I'm not the Kyuubi!,_ he thought, angrily. He was too lost in his thoughts to notice the fuma shuriken being aimed towards him, but last minute he was tackled by Iruka again. "Naruto, if you're gonna be a ninja, you need to be more observant," Iruka chuckled out and a few splatters of blood landed on Naruto's face.

"Iruka-sensei, why do you keep saving me? Don't you think I'm the Kyuubi, too?" Naruto asked, confused by the care Iruka continues to show him. He was aware that the Kyuubi killed Iruka's parents and was confused because he knew that he held a grudge against it, he always had a tone of anger in his voice when he spoke of the Kyuubi in the academy.

"No, Naruto. I know you're not the Kyuubi. And I'm will always save you as long as I possibly can because you and I are the same. I grew up as an orphan too, and I know the pain you go through everyday. I used to play pranks for acknowledgment too, and I always goofed off. But I'm sorry for not being there for you earlier," Iruka spoke sincerely, truth dripping from his words.

Naruto teared up, he had always thought of Iruka as a brother, but to hear him say how much he cared about him too, it made him emotional. "Naruto," Iruka's voice brought him out of his thoughts, "I need you to take the scroll and run, okay?" Naruto nodded and grabbed the scroll. He looked over his shoulder, mouthed a quick ' _Be careful'_ and started to run as fast as he could.

Stopping behind a tree after running for five minutes, Naruto sensed Iruka and Mizuki's chakra approaching rapidly. When they stopped near where he was hiding, Naruto listened in on their conversation.

"Iruka, Iruka, Iruka… why don't you join me? I'm telling you, Naruto will join me for the power that the scroll holds. Monsters are all power-hungry," Mizuki said, smirking.

Iruka sighed, "You're right, that's what a monster would do," Naruto felt like sobbing then, because that meant Iruka only said all those sweet and kind words so he wouldn't turn against him, "But, Naruto isn't a monster. He's my precious student, who I see like a little brother."

The air in Naruto's lungs rushed out in the form of a quiet sigh of relief. _Iruka thinks of me as his little brother?,_ he thought, tears of joy clouding his vision when he saw Mizuki try to kill his _true_ sensei. Remembering all the damage Iruka took, and with the way he was unsteady on his feet, Naruto could tell that Iruka wouldn't survive another blow. He could tell that Iruka knew that as well because all he did was close his eyes and await the pain of the weapon. Naruto didn't think, he just acted on pure instinct. He rushed out and grabbed the fuma shuriken that was heading for Iruka.

" **Don't you** _ **dare**_ **lat another hand on my sensei, or I'll** _ **kill**_ **you!"** Naruto spoke in a dark, and slightly demonic, voice. His blue eyes were slitted, but no one could really notice in the dark of the night. Mizuki gulped, audibly to Naruto's enhanced ears, and said "I'd like to see you try. I could kill you in one move."

Naruto shaped his hands into his new favorite hand seal, "Well, I throw it back at you, one thousand times worse!" he spoke in a loud voice that echoed around the small clearing that they were in, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Hundreds of Naruto's duplicates popped into existence, each one with a murderous look in their eyes. Mizuki gulped again and genuinely look afraid. Every Naruto in the area pounced, but only the real one noticed Iruka collapse onto his knees. "Sensei!" he shouted as he rushed through the hordes of himself. He kneeled down next to Iruka, steadying him by holding onto his shoulders. "Na-Naruto, you pa-pass. I'm so pr-proud of you," Iruka's voice was unsteady and he couldn't stop the blood from flowing out of his mouth.

"Sensei, what's wrong? The wounds weren't that bad were they?" Naruto asked, confused. He could barely smell the blood, so it must have clotted already. Why was his sensei acting like he was going to die? _No… don't tell me he was…,_ Naruto thought, solemnly. "Naruto, I've been poisoned," Iruka muttered out between clenched teeth. That confirmed his suspicions.

"I don't have long left, Naruto. I-I'm sor-sorry, I should ha-have been there for you more," Iruka pulled Naruto into a hug, "Please, for-forgive me."

Naruto hugged him as softly as he could, though he wanted to squeeze Iruka to show how much he cared for him, "You're forgiven, Sensei." That was the last thing Iruka heard as he died in Naruto's arms.

Naruto let out the tears he has been holding in all day, those rude ladies, failing the exam, finding out he was the container of the Kyuubi, and Iruka dying has built up so many negative emotions. Too many for him to bottle up. He saw a haze of red and that was all he could see for several minutes. When he finally came to, he was standing over Mizuki's dead body. It was charred and the head was separated from his body. Naruto dimly noticed that it was across the clearing and that in his hand were some white hairs.

 _He deserved it,_ he tried to tell himself but he still felt nauseous. He released a shaky breath, grabbed the Scroll of Seals, and started heading to the Old Man's office, memorizing the way to the clearing.

When he arrived, there was jounin, chunin, and Anbu in the office. They parted a path for him, taking in his bloodied clothes and hardened eyes. He kneeled in front of the Hokage, "I would like to report two casualties, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage lit his pipe and relaxed in his chair, happy that his surrogate grandson was okay but sad that he had witnessed death at such a young age, "Go ahead Naruto."

Remembering the lesson on mission briefings, Naruto spoke "Chunin Iruka Umino was killed by Chunin Mizuki Fujita. Chunin Mizuki Fujita was killed by civilian Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto ignored the shocked gasps and mutters of _demon brat_.

The Hokage sat up at the last part, he was aware that they both had died, but had assumed that they had died in a battle to the death. "Dismissed, everyone but Naruto," after they all had left he opened his arms and gave Naruto a soft look, "Come here, my boy."

Naruto jumped up and practically tacked the old Hokage. He wasn't sure how long he sat there in the Hokage's arms just crying and the Hokage murmuring words of comfort to him. Eventually, though the Hokage had given him a headband, declaring him officially a ninja. He headed home, to his lonely apartment, and pondered his relationship to the Kyuubi. He had already realized the voice he occasionally hears was the Kyuubi, but he decided against telling the Hokage that he was aware of it, so he had no real answers.

As he stared at his whisker marks in the mirror, he felt a pull at the base of his neck. It wasn't unusual, but this time he knew it was the Kyuubi. So instead of ignoring it, he followed it. He woke up the next morning with a desire to chase a rabbit and the vow to _never_ become the demon that he held, locked within his mind.


	2. Chapter One

_I don't have time for this…,_ Naruto thought as he ran through the forest. _**GET IT!,**_ an excited voice yelled from the corner of his mind. Naruto sweatdropped but continued to chase the grey rabbit that was running away from him. _Though, it does smell delicious,_ he noticed with a grimace. Naruto sped up and pounced, the rabbit now captured in Naruto's arms.

"It's okay, Bunny-chan," Naruto cooed out as he pet the rabbit. The rabbit was looking up at him with wide, frightened eyes and was shaking slightly. _**Stop toying with it! I'm hungry!**_ Kyuubi said and when Naruto rolled his eyes at him, he snapped _**What?**_

"You can't get hungry," Naruto pointed out as he made his way back to his apartment, "You're a Bijuu." Kyuubi scoffed and was silent for the rest of the walk. Naruto sighed and closed his apartment door after he dropped off Bunny-chan. So much had changed within the last twenty-four hours. He learned about Kyuubi, Iruka-sensei had passed away, he had killed Mizuki and had received his headband, which branded him a ninja of The Leaf Village.

His heart clenched as he thought of Iruka and his new status as a ninja. Iruka was one of the only people to truly acknowledge him, he saw him as a little brother… Iruka had died to protect him. Naruto released a shuddering breath at that thought and blinked back tears. He didn't understand it fully, why would you die for someone else? Naruto pondered this and paused in front of the door of The Ninja Academy. He saw parents usher their children away from him as they looked at him with hate and fear, then look at their children with adoration and love. At that moment, he realized something as a mother pushed her daughter behind her, glancing up at him fearfully. She did that because she loved her daughter and saw him as a threat. In the same moment, Naruto promised that he would never let one of his loved ones die if he had a say in it. He would gladly die for them.

"Move, idiot," Kiba Inuzuka said as he pushed Naruto out of the way of the door. Akamaru glanced up at Naruto with a look he couldn't quite decipher, but Naruto just shrugged it off and scowled at Kiba as he walked away. Jumping up and adjusting his jacket, Naruto walked into the room and shifted uncomfortably as all eyes fell on him.

"What are you doing here, Naruto? Only graduates are allowed," Shikamaru asked as he lifted his head up from the desk. Naruto released a breath and grinned. "See this, Shikamaru?" he asked as he pointed to his headband, "This is a ninja headband, so that means I graduated." Shikamaru squinted his eyes and muttered "Whatever," before resting his head on the desk once again. Naruto only grinned wider and rested his hands behind his head.

He walked further into the room and sat down in the first seat he saw was available, he didn't realize who he was sitting next to and soon learned to regret it.

"Move, Ino-pig!" Sakura yelled as she pushed against Ino, trying to enter the room first. "No! You move Forehead Girl!" Ino yelled back. The entire class, besides most of the girls, groaned over the argument. Naruto looked up and saw them approaching him and felt elated when Sakura stopped in front of him.

"Hi, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said as he stood up. Sakura glared at him and ordered him to "Move! So I can sit next to Sasuke-kun!" Naruto paled as he looked to his side where Sasuke was sitting and he became white as a ghost when he looked at the group of girls surrounding his desk. He stood up quickly and jumped onto the desk at the same time someone tipped it over. Naruto's eyes widened when he realized where he landed, on Sasuke's lap. He felt murderous intent coming from the group of girls and tried to stand up at the same time Sasuke looked down to glare at him. Their faces smashed together and their lips clashed. Naruto panicked and quickly got off of him. Sasuke was frozen and Naruto felt his death approaching as he watched the girls approach him. Naruto sighed as Kyuubi laughed at him from inside his mind, _Am I cursed, or something?_

* * *

Stumbling to his seat next to Sakura, Naruto felt pain in every inch of his body. The girls beat him to the point of hospitalization and he couldn't even fight back because there was too many of them. After sitting down, Naruto attempted to rest his head against the desk, but quickly regretted it because of the searing pain that blossomed from the bruises that were rapidly healing. He glared at Sakura from the corner of his eye, _She's so mean, even after all of the kindness I showed her!_

 _ **Well, brat, that's because she's an ignorant child**_ Kyuubi commented, half asleep. Naruto nodded, _That makes sense… But what does ignorant mean?_ He asked, confused by the word he heard Iruka use on multiple occasions. Kyuubi sighed, _**We're going to start on academic lessons later today…**_

Naruto went to protest but stopped when he heard Kyuubi snoring. Scowling, Naruto focused his attention back on the real world, just in time for the Third Hokage to walk into the classroom. Naruto, completely healed by this point, brightened up and grinned at the old man. The Hokage offered him a small smile in return and politely coughed to gather the attention of the class. The children immediately quieted down once they realized who was addressing them and most of them attempted to fix their appearances.

"Hello, fellow ninja of the Leaf," Hiruzen Sarutobi began and paused to watch all of the children's ego inflate at his words, "As the Sandaime, I'm here to congratulate you on your accomplishments during your Academy years. First, however, I must deliver devastating news." Everyone began to murmur questions and theories to each other, Naruto only looked down and fought against tears.

The elderly Hokage raised a hand to silence the students, "Unfortunately, Iruka Umino passed away last night during a battle with a traitor." Shocked and horrified gasps came from everyone in the room, besides Naruto and Sarutobi, and some of the more sensitive students began to cry. Naruto could hear Hinata whisper, "... why Sensei?" to herself and couldn't stop the anger that began to brew inside of him. He was closest to Iruka, why did she act as if she were his little sister?! He heard the Kyuubi laugh and say, _**Do you want some chakra, brat?**_ teasingly. Naruto released a sigh and let it go, burying the new-found resentment for Hinata deep inside.

The Hokage coughed again, "Iruka died honourably while he was defending his village and loved ones," Hiruzen glanced meaningfully at Naruto, "But, to die a warrior's death… is the greatest honour a ninja can achieve," he paused when Sakura raised her hand and called on her, "Yes, Haruno-san?"

"But, isn't the greatest honour for a ninja to be a Kage?" Sakura blushed slightly and twirled a piece of her hair, "I mean, how could dying in a fight be honourable? Isn't it a ninja's job to resolve conflicts?"

Naruto couldn't suppress the glare that made its way onto his face, nor could he stop the feral growl the escaped his throat. The Sandaime sent an apologetic look to Naruto and looked back at Sakura, "No, Haruno-san, Kage is simply a title, just like Genin, Chunin and Jonin. No matter what your title is, you are a ninja first and as a ninja, you are expected to die for your country. Dying while in battle is the greatest honour a ninja can achieve, because that means you gave it your all and fulfilled your duty."

Hiruzen saw the looks of awe mixed with fear on the genins' faces and released a small amount of killer intent, "If you are not prepared to die for your country, return your headband to me, because you are not fit to be a ninja of the Leaf." Several students stood and rushed to the Hokage, untying their headbands on their way to him. There were only fifteen students remaining in the room by the time the students who ran away were completely gone.

The Hokage sighed disappointedly at the absurd number of students that left, but his hope for the future generation of ninja returned when he met the determined blue eyes of Naruto Uzumaki. The look of absolute certainty reminded him eerily of another ninja who had blond hair and blue eyes, but he quickly shook the thought away.

He opened his mouth to speak when Naruto stood, "I'm going to be Hokage, Jiji! And I'm going to prove all you old coots wrong, because dying for your country is not the greatest honour one can achieve. Dying to protect your comrades is, 'ttebayo!" Naruto ended his rant by crossing his arms, and with a determined nod, he sat back in his seat, only to be bopped on the head by Sakura's fist.

"Oww, Sakura! Why'd you do that?!" Naruto asked while rubbing his head. Sakura glared at him, "Because, you disrespected the Hokage, you idiot!" The two began to bicker and Hiruzen smiled while he slipped out of the classroom, _So, this is the future of Konoha… it seems bright._


	3. Chapter Two

Naruto rested his head against the desk while waiting for the Chunin that was supposed to announce the teams. He was bored and annoyed. Jiji left, Kyuubi was sleeping, the girls in his class were sending him death glares, Hinata was staring at him and he couldn't stand the smell of the mutt behind him. Seriously, what was taking the Chunin so long?!

Rolling his eyes, Naruto's mind wandered to the day before. He stole the Forbidden Scroll, learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu, discovered something called Uzumaki Adamantine Chains, Iruka died- why was Kyuubi suddenly desperate to speak to him? Naruto sighed and followed the pull that led him to Kyuubi's chamber.

Once he was in his mindscape, Naruto followed the large, red pipes that were filled with Kyuubi's chakra. There were designs on the walls all around him and he could sense the hatred and malice that the Kyuubi produced, but he could also sense… fear? He walked through the doors that led to the gate that held Kyuubi and asked, "What's got you so scared, fuzzy?"  
" **I am** _ **not**_ **fuzzy!"** the mighty Kyuubi no Youko roared at the small boy in front of him.

The Kyuubi was big, like _really_ big. Taller than the Hokage Monument big, and the Monument was huge. However, Naruto didn't even flinch as the Kyuubi roared, bared its teeth and waved its tails around in a threatening manner. No, Naruto wasn't scared, because he knew the Kyuubi's weakness. So instead of cowering in fear before the mighty beast, Naruto smiled and said, "Poor Bunny-chan, sitting all alone in my apartment. I wonder if I should let it go…" The Kyuubi immediately quieted down.

" **You wouldn't,"** Kyuubi hissed out in an angry whisper as he glared down at Naruto. Naruto simply gave a smirk and when Naruto smirks, even the great Kyuubi shudders in fear. The Kyuubi sighed and rested its head on its paws, " **We need to talk."**

Naruto could sense the seriousness in Kyuubi's tone and he furrowed his brows, "About what?"

Kyuubi's eyes narrowed and a feral snarl twisted his lips, " **Uzumaki Adamantine Chains."**

Naruto tried to hide his curiosity, but due to the way Kyuubi's snarl became more intense, he guessed he did a bad job of it. "What are the Uzumaki Adamantine Chains?" Naruto asked, "And why are you scared of them?"

The Kyuubi snarled, " **I'm not scared of them, I simply know what they are capable of and -"** Naruto opened his mouth to cut the Kyuubi off and the Kyuubi _roared_ " **Let me speak!"** Naruto was genuinely frightened this time. Before, when the Kyuubi roared, it was over something trivial, but now he could sense the seriousness and distress in its voice. He quickly closed his mouth.

" **The Uzumaki Adamantine Chains are a forbidden fuinjutsu: a sealing art. They are the unbreakable weapon, the ultimate defense and,"** the Kyuubi narrowed its eyes when it saw the curious look on Naruto's face, " **an irreversible curse. They have a mind of their own and it takes countless lifetimes and an unyielding will to gain control of them. Once you have them, it is impossible to get rid of them. I have seen hundreds of Uzumakis fall to their power and, if you decide to pursue the strength of the Uzumaki Adamantine Chains, you will, without a doubt, end up just like those before you."**

Naruto scowled and turned to walk away, but once he reached the exit of the chamber, the Kyuubi called out, " **You will end up just like your Mother."**

Naruto stopped and whispered, "You knew my Mother?" over his shoulder. The Kyuubi grinned, it was full of hate and disgust, but Naruto thought he saw fear in the Bijuu's eyes. " **Yes, I knew your Mother, and she was the foulest and most rotten human being I have ever met."** Naruto opened his mouth to question the Kyuubi, or maybe yell at him for disrespecting his Mother, but he felt a small piece of _something_ hit his forehead and then the feeling of forcibly being pulled from his mindscape. As he left, he called out, "This conversation is not over!" The only thing he heard in response was the Kyuubi's deep, malicious laughs.

Groggily, Naruto opened his eyes and blinked at the light that assaulted them. He looked forward and saw Izumo and Kotetsu glaring at him while his classmates laughed at him. He sighed, realizing that his body must have fallen asleep while his consciousness was in his mindscape. He sat up and yawned loudly while he stretched, his eyes narrowing at the piece of chalk in front of him and the way Kotetsu's arm seemed to be slowly lowering from a throwing position. Plastering a grin on his face, Naruto looked up and asked, "What're you two doing here?"

Izumo snorted and said, "Reading team assignments," with an amused look on his face.

Naruto nodded and excitedly asked, "What team am I on, dattebayo?"

Izumo looked down at the clipboard in his hand and smirked at Naruto, "I was just getting to that." He cleared his throat and began to read the names on the list, "Team 7: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno -" he was cut off by Sakura's agonized wail and Ino's shout of "Haha, Forehead!" but he just cleared his throat again and continued, "and Sasuke Uchiha." Kotetsu had to hold in laughter at Sakura's gloating and Naruto's gobsmacked look. Sasuke just grunted and said nothing.

"Wait a second!" Naruto shouted while standing up, "Why does a totally awesome ninja like me have to be on a team with a loser like Sasuke?!"

Kotetsu and Izumo chuckled, but Izumo answered, "Well, I'm glad you asked Naruto. It's because you were the worst of your class and Sasuke was the best. It's to balance the teams out. Anyway, let me finish. Team 8: Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuuga and Shino Aburame. Team 9 is still in circulation. Team 10: Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi. Your Senseis will be here soon, we won't be back. Have a nice day."

* * *

Naruto tried to be patient. During the first hour he waited, he sat quietly and rested his head. During the second hour, he started to tap his fingers in code and he hummed nonsense songs. However, during the third hour… "Where is this stupid Sensei?!" Naruto exclaimed as he paced around the room and tugged at his hair.

"Che, be quiet, Naruto," Sakura muttered while sneaking glances at Sasuke, "You're too loud."

Naruto huffed and continued to pace, mumbling threats aimed at the very late Sensei. He was still upset because of his conversation with the Kyuubi. How did the Kyuubi know his Mother and why did it say such cruel things about her? He talked to the Kyuubi for answers and left with more questions. Why was the Kyuubi scared of the Adamantine Chains and what did it mean by saying they were a curse? Naruto sighed, it was pointless to think of something he couldn't answer.

Naruto finally sat down, his anger calming itself. He rested his head on his hand and stared at his two "teammates". Sakura was attempting to gain Sasuke's attention and Sasuke was glaring ou the window. Naruto scoffed quietly, wondering what was so special about Sasuke. He didn't understand, why did everyone bow at his feet? He wasn't anything special. Sure, he was the "Last Uchiha" and was the Rookie of the Year, but he wasn't a prodigy and was only at the top of the class because people like Shikamaru didn't try. Sakura might be the Top Kunoichi, but that was only in book smarts. She wasn't particularly strong and acted like a fangirl almost all of the time.

But, if Naruto was honest with himself, he wasn't all that strong either. He was the dead last of his class and he wasn't very smart. He failed almost every test there was and still couldn't make a basic clone. It was an upsetting and humbling thought; he wasn't perfect. Of course, he knew that already, but he always ignored the facts and claimed to be the best. Sighing once again, Naruto promised himself to be less judgemental, to become stronger and to help his teammates become stronger as well.

"- Wake up, idiot!" was all he heard before he was pulled from his thoughts by a fist crashing into his head, "Sensei's here." Naruto blinked and stared at Sakura from his place on the floor before the words registered. Enthusiastically jumping up, Naruto looked at his new Sensei and all of his excitement faded away as he made eye contact with the one and only Kakashi Hatake.

His eyebrow twitched and he thought, _Old Man, how dare you make this perverted jerk my Sensei!_

* * *

In the Hokage Tower, Hizuren Sarutobi suddenly felt a feeling of dread.


End file.
